Looking Ahead to March Madness

Here we are, just 3 weeks before Selection Sunday, and the Big Ten race is as tight as it can be, with 3 teams still with a viable shot at the title, and several others within striking distance. What follows is a synopsis of all 11 teams, in order of standings as of Sunday evening, with prognosis for the remainder of the season.

1. Michigan State Spartans (21-5 overall, 11-3 Big Ten) - The Spartans have pretty much been in control all season long, and even though they have lost 2 games at the Breslin Center (Penn State and Northwestern), they still look like the frontrunners to win the league title. Led by sophomores Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers, the Spartans can come at you in a variety of ways. They are superbly coached as well, with Coach Tom Izzo being one of the best coaches in the league, if not the entire country. Coming down the stretch, the Big Ten title could very well be decided on the last day of the regular season, when the Spartans meet Purdue up at East Lansing.

Games Remaining: 4 (Iowa, at Illinois, at Indiana, Purdue)

2. Purdue Boilermakers (21-6 overall, 10-4 Big Ten) - The Boilermakers have stayed near the top of the league standings as well this season, and even though they have lost to the Illini twice during the regular season, still have managed to keep pace. With several players out with injuries at one time or another (Robbie Hummel, Chris Kramer, Lewis Jackson), the Boilermakers are still a little banged up, but with stellar play from JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore, they are poised for an end of the season showdown with Michigan State. Coach Matt Painter has done an exceptional job, and the lineage of the Boilermaker coaching tree has never been more evident by his style on the sidelines. Purdue won the first meeting with the Spartans in West Lafayette to draw ever closer to the top of the conference standings.

Games Remaining: 4 (at Michigan, Ohio State, Northwestern, at Michigan State)

3. Illinois Fighting Illini (22-6 overall, 10-5 Big Ten) - After the disaster that was last season (16-19 overall), the Illini were expected to not do very much this season, in which they deemed a rebuilding year with a bumper crop recruiting class coming in for the 2009 season. But, the Illini have exceeded expectations and are contending with Purdue and Michigan State for the conference title. Sure, they have had some bad and ugly losses (Minnesota 59-36, Penn State 38-33), but they have also had some impressive road wins as well. Coach Bruce Weber somehow finds a way to motivate his players, and at the beginning of the season, had the names of the players removed from the jerseys as an act of unification. Well, it must have worked, because the Illini are destined for the NCAA Tournament and a top 3 seeding in the conference tournament with a group that is not much different than last season. With the Jamar Smith incident firmly behind them now, the distractions that plagued them last season are a memory and they can focus on winning, which they have been doing a lot of this season.

Games remaining: 3 (Minnesota, Michigan State, at Penn State)

4. Penn State Nittany Lions (19-8 overall, 8-6 Big Ten) - Perhaps the surprise of the Big Ten this season, Coach Ed DeChellis has his team playing well, and with big wins at Michigan State and Illinois, has firmly entrenched the Lions in the upper half of the conference standings. Led by sophomore point guard Talor Battle and senior Jermelle Cornley, they can sneak up on teams, which they have done quite a bit of this season. Barring a late season collapse, the Nittany Lions figure to secure an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and will be a dangerous team to face in the Big Ten Tourney next month.

Games remianing: 4 (at Ohio State, Indiana, Illinois, at Iowa)

5. Minnesota Golden Gophers (20-7 overall, 8-7 Big Ten) - Now is where the fun starts in the standings. The Gophers are one of about 4 teams that are fighting for that ever elusive fifth seed in the Big Ten Tournament, which gives that team a first round bye. Minnesota has kept pace in the middle of the pack for most of the season, but they are a streaky team that is hard to figure out. Led by the outside shooting of Lawrence Westbrook and Blake Hoffarber (who could forget his last second shot to beat Indiana in last year's Big Ten Tournament), Coach Tubby Smith has Minnesota poised to return to the NCAA Tournament after a lengthy hiatus. How they do down the stretch will determine their fate come conference tournament time.

Games remaining: 3 (at Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan)

6. Wisconsin Badgers (17-10 overall, 8-7 Big Ten) - The Badgers have been hard to figure out all season, and earlier in the year, were pretty much written off when they went on a 6 game losing streak in conference play. They have since gotten their act together and are competing for one of the top 5 seeds in the Big Ten Tournament. Wisconsin has always been known for their big, bruising centers and forwards, and those types of players seem to be lacking this season. Instead, the Badgers rely on senior leadership from Joe Krabbenhoft and Marcus Landry, as well as junior Trevon Hughes. Coach Bo Ryan, feisty as he is on the sidelines, still has done a commendable job in getting the Badgers back in contention for the upper half of the standings. Have a decent shot of finishing over .500 in Big Ten play with a soft schedule down the stretch.

Games remaining: 3 (Michigan, at Minnesota, Indiana)

7. Ohio State Buckeyes (17-8 overall, 7-7 Big Ten) - Another team in the logjam that is pretty difficult to figure out. The Buckeyes have dealt with some adversity this season, losing one player to injury (David Lighty), and another transferring out (Anthony Crater). Still, Coach Thad Matta has the Buckeyes still within reach of a top 5 seed in the conference tournament despite those hardships. The Buckeyes are led by Evan Turner, who could very well end up as the Big Ten player of the year. Throw B. J. Mullens in there as a shot blocker, and you have a formidable duo down the stretch that could cause some problems for teams that may overlook them. The loss to Illinois on Sunday may have done more harm then good, and very well may have cost them an NCAA Tournament berth. Still too early to tell, though, but they can make a statement down the stretch with a good showing.

Games remaining: 4 (Penn State, at Purdue, at Iowa, Northwestern)

8. Michigan Wolverines (17-11 overall, 7-8 Big Ten) - The Wolverines fall into that category of teams that are just impossible to figure out. In the non-conference portion of the schedule, they did very well, defeating Duke and UCLA, and coming very close to knocking off Connecticut as well. But, in the conference games, they have been good at home, and not such on the road. Michigan is young, with only 3 seniors (C.J. Lee, David Merritt, and Jevohn Shepherd), but it has been the play on the court that has been the focal point for them. Manny Harris and Zack Novak have both served suspensions for flagrant fouls of opponents, and even though Coach John Beilein has a young nucleus of players to work with, that may not be enough to take the Wolverines back to the NCAA Tournament, somewhere they have not been for nearly a decade. The remainder of the Big Ten schedule isn't kind to them either.

Games remaining: 3 (Purdue, at Wisconsin, at Minnesota)

9. Northwestern Wildcats (14-11 overall, 5-9 Big Ten) - Long a perennial cellar dweller in the Big Ten, the Wildcats have opened some eyes this season with wins at Michigan State, and near miss against Illinois (a 60-59 loss), but will probably yet again finish in the bottom 3, unless they can turn the corner in a hurry. Coach Bill Carmody wanted to be the coach to give the Wildcats their first ever NCAA Tournament bid, but the only way that is going to happen is if they can somehow get hot and win the Big Ten Tournament. Kevin Coble and Craig Moore continue to make it happen for Northwestern, while Michael Thompson and newcomer Luka Mirkovic have given glory to those in Evanston looking for a bright spot. My guess is they will still be searching once the bids are announced.

Games remaining: 4 (at Indiana, Iowa, at Purdue, at Ohio State)

10. Iowa Hawkeyes (14-13 overall, 4-10 Big Ten) - Another team whose fate has been sealed by injury. Perhaps their best player, Cyrus Tate, went down early in the Big Ten season with an injury, and they have not been the same team ever since. And to add insult to more injury, Jeff Peterson is also currently out of commission, leaving guys like Devan Bawinkel, Matt Gatens, and Jarryd Cole to shoulder the load. Coach Todd Lickliter shows promise as coach, but until he can put a team on the floor at full strength, they will be playing in the tournament with 3 letters, instead of the one with 4 in it.

Games remaining: 4 (at Michigan State, at Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State)

11. Indiana Hoosiers (6-20 overall, 1-13 Big Ten) - Not even sure where to begin discussing the Hoosiers. Everyone knew that this would be happening after the explosion in Bloomington last season. Amid the recruiting violations by then coach Kelvin Sampson that led to several players transferring, Indiana basically had to start from scratch to build another team. The person that was chosen to lead that charge was Tom Crean, who had been at Marquette and was a former assistant of Tom Izzo's at Michigan State. Crean knew what he was getting into, and it has been far from easy for the cream and crimson. They show a lot of promise, with young stars such as Verdell Jones III, Matt Roth and Devan Dumes, but they are just not experienced enough to contend with the stalwarts of the Big Ten. Their day will come, but for now, teams can enjoy beating up on the Hoosiers because as Crean has shown everywhere he has been, he can coach. Hoosier fans can take comfort in knowing where they will begin the Big Ten Tournament next month, which is firmly entrenched as the 11th seed.

Games remaining: 4 (Northwestern, at Penn State, Michigan State, at Wisconsin)


As always, I welcome your comments.

Chicago - An Illini kind of town?

Those of you that switched off of the Illinois-Northwestern game on Thursday night, don't feel bad admitting to the fact. I almost did too, but for some reason, I stayed with it and saw perhaps the greatest Illini comeback since "The Comeback", which of course was the Illinois-Arizona game back on March 26, 2005 that sent the Illini to their first Final Four since 1989. Sure, the game against Northwestern didn't have near the implications that the Arizona game did, but there are still some pretty curious coincidences associated with the two games. First of all, they both took place in the Chicagoland area. The game against Arizona was at Allstate Arena in suburban Rosemont, while Northwestern's game was at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, a burb on the north side of the city. To further dive into the similarities of the two games, ironically they both involved teams that have Wildcats as their mascots. Coincidence? Definitely. In both games, the Illini had to claw (no pun intended) their way back from double digit deficits, and did so in the waning minutes of regulation. The only glaring difference between the two games was that the Arizona game went overtime, and the Illini prevailed 90-89 to advance to St. Louis. In the game against Northwestern, no extra period was needed, as the Illini won 60-59. Another glaring difference was the personnel involved in the comeback. In 2005, the Illini boasted a starting five that all saw time in the NBA at one point or another (Dee Brown,. Deron Williams, Roger Powell, Luther Head, and James Augustine). The 2009 version is not nearly as glamorous (Trent Meacham, Demetri McCamey, Chester Frazier, Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale), but proved to be equally effective. The win on Thursday night exemplifies one thing about this year's Illini team; they somehow find a way to win when they need to. The road in the Big Ten has not been kind to Bruce Weber and his team this season, as they have looked bad at times, and downright pitiful in other instances. Thursday night's game fit into the pitiful category for nearly 35 minutes, as the Illini forgot free throw technique, missing 10 out of 12 attempts on the night. Shooting was equally bad, and until the 5 minute mark of the second half, was really struggling from all points on the floor. Unlike 2005, the current Illini squad was not top-ranked, but they are in the Top 20, and with a win over Indiana on Sunday (12:00 noon, CST, CBS), figure to move up in the rankings once again. The Illini captured win number 20 against Northwesterm against 5 defeats, and have stayed within shouting distance of first place Michigan State at 8-4 in the conference standings. As I've stated before, it's been that kind of a season in the Big Ten Conference, with any team capable of knocking someone off every game. I feel bad for Northwestern, because this is a game that they should have won, and the loss may in fact destroy their chances of making the field of 65 teams for the first time in school history. Coach Bill Carmody has the Wildcats playing really well, and they are no longer a team that you overlook when they pop up on the schedule. Barring a late season collapse, they look like a strong candidate for the NIT, and who knows, with a little luck and a few more wins, could make things interesting in the Big Ten Tournament. I just hope that Illinois doesn't have to face them early in Indianapolis, because on a neutral court, all bets are off.
The level of play in the Big Ten has been intense this season, but so have the flagrant fouls and cheap shots. Already this season, there have been two players from Michigan suspended (Mannie Harris and Zach Novak), one from Indiana (Devan Dumas), and probably should have been one more, in Wisconsin's Joe Krabbenhoft for his outlandish pick on Purdue's Lewis Jackson. (Lew Jack missed the next game as a result.) Kudos to the respective coaches of these teams for stepping up and taking matters into consideration, but one tends to wonder how much is enough? The Big Ten has always been known as a physical league, with past bruisers such as Brian Cardinal, Lucas Johnson, and Brian Butch, just to name a few. But one of these times, someone is going to get seriously hurt, and then when the league doesn't step in to curtail this activity, it will give others the idea to do something similar. But as we get down to the stretch run for conference supremacy, a good number of teams still have a legitimate shot at the title. It would be tragic to see a team's hopes dashed by a careless and unnecessary play, taking one of their players out of commission. But, that's for the league to decide.

Big Ten Race - One for the ages.

The 2008-09 edition of the Big Ten race is shaping up as one of the most entertaining in recent memory. Out of the 11 teams, 10 of them are legitimate contenders for a chance to hoist the trophy on Selection Sunday as the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament (sorry, Indiana). Now, why did I single out the Hoosiers? Frankly, they are just not that good this season, Yes, they have come close to winning some game within the conference, but close just doesn't cut it in this league this season, and as of Wednesday, was 0-7 in Big Ten play. There have been some major surprises this year as well, namely the Fighting Illini. Last season, Illinois had one of their worst seasons in the last decade, and with all of the off-season drama that went on, wasn't expected to do much better this season. But, with a senior nucleus of Chester Frazier, Trent Mecaham, and Calvin Brock a year older and wiser to boot, they have rallied some of the younger players and have stormed out to a 5-2 mark in conference play as the mid-point of the race draws ever so closer. We all knew that Michigan State would be the cream of the crop again this year, and they have not disappointed, leading the Illini by a game. But what else has transpired within the conference has made many a sportswriter or casual fan just shake their heads. Wisconsin losing 5 Big Ten games in a row? Unthinkable! Northwestern defeating Michigan State at the Breslin Center? Preposturous! Michigan looking like world-beaters early on by defeating both Duke and UCLA, and now coming down to earth once they get into conference play? More common. It's been that kind of a year in the Big Ten, and it doesn't seem to be letting up any. Ohio State came in looking to be one of the front runners, but a couple of injuuries and a transfer has relegated the Buckeyes to middle-of-the-road status. Iowa, who have sat near the bottom of the conference the last few seasons, have improved a bit with their new coach Todd Lickliter, but still have a ways to go. Penn State, a scary team the past couple of years, may have turned the corner and looks poised to challenge for one of the top 5 seeds in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament. Purdue is as talented as anyone in the conference, but a couple of key injuries to star players allowed the Illini to go into West Lafayette at the beginning of the conference season and steal a road victory. Minnesota, under Tubby Smith, is challenging for one of those spots as well, and they are the next opponent for the Illini (8:00 pm Thursday, Big Ten Network). What is unique about this series is that the Illini have won the last 20 meetings between the two schools, dating back to the 1999-2000 season. So, the last 4 coaches for the Golden Gophers have not been able to defeat the Illini. Not Dan Monson. Not Clem Haskins. Not Jim Molinari. And so far, Tubby Smith falls into this category. But, this is a different Minnesota team that we are dealing with these days, and it won't be easy. Nothing comes easy in the Big Ten these days. And yes, I believe that even Indiana will get a victory that they shouldn't. Teams need to be prepared to play night in and night out, because if they are not, then a loss is almost certain. Back to Northwestern and Michigan State for a moment. The Spartans have been almost unbeatable at the Breslin Center, and in the 300th game played there, they took on the feisty Wildcats, who had a wickedly successful shooting night. No game is a gimme anymore, and they all need to be earned. As Weber's philosophy states, take care of business at home and hope to steal one or two on the road, and you are in line for a conference title. Which is where the Illini find themselves right now. A win over Minnesota will allow them to keep pace with Michigan State, and will make the game between the Illini and the Spartans all the more important in Champaign when they play at the end of Februrary. The games have all been very enjoyable to watch thus far, and if this is any indication of how the Big Ten Tournament will be, then fans are in for a huge treat when all 11 teams converge on Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis in early March. The race is on!

A milestone win, no doubt.

Last week the Fighting Illini men's basketball team achieved a milestone that only 12 other programs have matched. The Illini notched win #1600, putting them in some elite company. Granted, the program has been around a long time, but you have to figure that all of those 20 win seasons during the Lou Henson era, coupled with the recent success of the program under the Lon Kruger, Bill $elf, and now Bruce Weber regimes, that number couldn't have been far off. The magic number came against the Michigan Wolverines, and was also at home in front of the fans, which, measured by the unexpected success of the 2008-09 season thus far, are finally seeing near capacity crowds again. This milestone is a big deal in many facets, namely the company that they now keep as a member of this exclusive club. The other 12 teams, in order of overall wins, are as follows: Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas, Duke, Syracuse, Temple, St. John's, UCLA, Pennsylvania, Notre Dame, Indiana and Utah. All good programs, and every one successful at once point over the last 20 years or so. Now back to this year's team. With the win over Michigan, the Illini hit the road to East Lansing hoping to sweep the Michigan teams for the week and finally crack the top 25 rankings for the first time in nearly 3 years. The trip to Spartan country was not successful, although the Illini led for nearly the entire game except the end, where it counts most. Michigan State, perenially the cream of the crop in the Big Ten Conference, has another stellar squad that looks like the team to beat in the league right now. It seems that when Tom Izzo is in a rebuilding year, it's almost like he reloads and they are good within a year. I have the utmost respect for Coach Izzo, and outside of Weber, is my favorite coach in the entire league. So, after the Illini went down to defeat 63-57 at the hands of the
Spartans on Saturday, the thought was that the Illini would be on the outside looking in once again when the new polls came out on Monday. However, to the amazement of many, including this blogger, the Illini cracked both polls, coming in at #25 in the AP poll and #24 in the USA Today/ESPN poll. This can be viewed in both good and bad terms, with the good being that finally the Illini are getting the respect that they deserve. This could also be bad in that now they have a target on their back and they cannot hide anymore. The Illini will get a chance to test their first ranking since the 2005-06 season on Tuesday evening when the welcome the Ohio State Buckeyes to the Assembly Hall (6:00 pm central time, ESPN). Fans attending the game on Tuesday will be part of a unique setting, as since that day is the inaguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America, each person will be given an American flag to wave that will be quite a scene for the national television audience. Here's hoping that the Illini are up to the challenge and they don't let that ranking go to their heads. There is still an awfully lot of basketball to be played.
The Illini women's basketball team is enduring a nightmare of a season, one that Coach Jolette Law did not envision. With only 9 scholarship players on the roster, that is playing a major role in the disappointment. The women are just 4-15 on the season, and winless in 8 Big Ten games. It's not that they aren't getting good play from the people that they should be, it's just that they are not getting enough of it. Jenna Smith and Lacey Simpson each notched double-doubles in a 61-43 loss to Wisconsin on Sunday evening in Madison, and Smith continues to play like an MVP candidate. It remains to be seen what the Illini would be without her. Coach Law takes her team into conference leader Ohio State on Thursday night with the hopes of any good news to turn this season around.
Finally this week, now that the changing of the guard has happened for University of Illini women's volleyball, a new coach has emerged, but he is not new to the program. Kevin Hambly, who has been an assistant under outgoing coach Don Hardin for a few years, steps into the top job with both feet in forward motion. Hambly is attending tournaments in the Chicagoland area and continues to have his eyes focused on bringing in new talent to a program that is on the upswing and figures not to lose much of anything with the coaching change. Hambly is also a very personable individual and seems capable of getting the job done.

New year, new possibilities.

What a difference a year makes. At this time last year, the Fighting Illini men's basketball team was slogging through one of their worst seasons in nearly a decade. Several factors attribute to the reversal of fortunes. First of all, the players on this team are all a year older and more experienced. Guys like Demetri McCamey, Mike Tisdale and Mike Davis have all seen their individual games stepped up a notch, while the elder players on the team, Chester Frazier, Trent Meacham and Calvin Brock have stepped into leadership roles. It could also be addition by subtraction. There were times last season when Brian Randle and Shawn Pruitt both did more harm than good, and frankly, I'm not sure where either of them would fit on this year's team. Last year's team played more on an individual level, and it showed on the floor, as communication and team effort just was not there. The problem was so dire that Bruce Weber decided at the beginning of the season to remove the names of the players off the backs of the uniforms, citing that they play for the name on the front of the jersey, not on the back. The tactic must be working, because this season the Illini have come out and are playing more as a team, more together cohesively. They have raced off to a 13-2 mark through the first 15 games, compared to 8-7 at the same jucture one year ago. As a matter of fact, the Illini did not get win number 13 until game 31 last season, which happened on March 8. So here we are, into the Big Ten season and the calendar has turned over to 2009, and Illinois has a road win at Purdue, and a game that maybe they should have won at Michigan, but still no Top 25 ranking. Maybe this is a good thing, because the players won't lose focus over being ranked. On the other hand, this is a team that deserves to be ranked, so the recognition needs to be there. Going into the first full week of conference play, one would have thought that a split would have meant a national ranking once and for all, but after the win at Purdue, the Illini were thinking sweep, and not just splitting the two. One really cannot explain why some teams get ranked and others don't, but I have to believe that last year somehow plays a part in it. Pollsters have taken a look at what the Illini did in 2007-08 and have concluded that this may be a fluke and that they will come back down to earth once the Big Ten season gets rolling. The Illini will look to get back on the winning track once again and make another push toward cracking the Top 25 this weekend when they take on a new look Indiana Hoosiers squad at the Assembly Hall on Saturday (2:00 pm central time, Big Ten Network). Gone are Eric Gordon (NBA), Kelvin Sampson (coaching in the NBA), and a whole host of other players, leaving new mentor Tom Crean with a big mess and everything to play for, since expectations are very low for the Hoosiers this season. This will also be a good chance for the Illini to exact some revenge on Indiana for the past couple of seasons. And who knows, it might be the start of getting those names back on the jerseys.

Basketball season in full force

Let's face it, this is a pretty good basketball team that Bruce Weber has assembled this season. Gone are some of the distractions (Jamar Smith), and team unity is once again making it's presence known. Maybe it had something to do with Weber's decision to remove the names from the backs of the jerseys, claiming that you play for the name on the front, and not on the back. Whatever the reason, the Illini are 9-1 and just a shot away from a perfect 10-0 record. Call it "The Shot Not Taken" if you wish, but the Clemson game right now is the only thing standing in their way. And, the news is about to get even better for Weber and the Illini, as Alex Legion becomes eligible for Saturday's game against Detroit Mercy (7:00 pm, Big Ten Network). Legion, who has been idle since last December when he transferred in from Kentucky, will look to give the Illini another weapon shooting the basketball. But don't go expecting miracles immediately for Legion. He has had quite a journey since his high school days in Michigan. He attended prestigious Oak Hill Academy his senior season before enrolling at Kentucky, where he only played a handful of games before leaving the program. The departure of Jerrance Howard from Lexington had as much of an impact on Legion leaving as anyone did. Howard, who basically switched positions with Tracy Webster (although it wasn't like that at all), came to Illinois, and Legion soon wanted to follow. Weber had recruited him pretty aggressively, but didn't get him initially. Then, when he wanted to commit to Weber when he left the Wildcats, Weber essentially told him to come check it out before making a decision. So, to make a long story short, you will be seeing #33 entering the lineup (hopefully, if all of the grades and the like get posted) on Saturday night when the Illini seek their 10th win of the season.
Illini women's basketball coach Jolette Law has been enduring an up and down 2008 season so far, with 3 early wins that was followed up by a six game losing streak. The Illini get a taste of the best of the best on Saturday afternoon when they travel down to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to face the second ranked North Carolina Tar Heels. Then, it is on to the Big Ten portion of the season when the Illini host Purdue on Monday night at the Assembly Hall. Law has maintained her belief that you get to be the best by playing the best, and she relishes this opportunity to go against one of the best teams in the entire country. With only 9 scholarship players this season, depth is obviously an issue, and that could be part of the problem with the early season losses. Still, you should not be losing to teams like Montana and South Dakota State, and that is something that Law hopes to change. Working with the players and changing some things with the game plan may be the driving force for the Illini as they enter Big Ten play.

Big 10/ACC Challenge - Must See Tv, or Mismatch?

I thought I would deviate from the normal format of this blog and concentrate on a central topic this week. With the football team ending their season prematurely, and basketball season just beginning for both the men and women, only the volleyball team is playing games that mean a whole lot right now. More on them later.
The Big 10/ACC Challenge turns 10 this week, and so far in this series, it has been a landslide in favor of the ACC. With teams like North Carolina, Duke and Wake Forest perennially challenging for national titles, the Big Ten has been getting whitewashed in the previous 9 events. The Illini have not fared very well in the challenge either, winning only 3 of the 9 games. So, what seems to be the problem, you say? Personally, I just think the ACC breeds better basketball, hands down. They have the better coaches, guys like Roy Williams, Mike Krzyzewski, among others, and have more exposure than the Big Ten. When you compare apples to apples, the ACC most always will win any argument between the two conferences. Now, the Big Ten has some good coaches, namely Tom Izzo and Bo Ryan, plus some that are up and coming, such as Bruce Weber, Thad Matta, and Tom Crean. But, the ACC continually gets the better talent, and they recruit more nationally than the Big Ten does. Sure, the Big Ten Network debuted a year ago to give fans in other areas a chance to see the conference, but the ACC has had their own network for many years, the sports giant known as ESPN. Guys like Dick Vitale and Dave Barnett spouting off at the mouth about the Tar Heels or the beloved Dukies gets old real fast. But, who can blame them? With as much exposure as they get, who wouldn't think they were far superior? This year vowed to be different, right? Well......., not so fast. With the train wreck happening at Indiana, and rebuilding projects at Iowa and Michigan, the Big Ten figured to be behind the eight ball once again. The Illini gave it their best shot on Tuesday night, coming within a final shot of defeating Clemson. Even though the Illini lost the game, some positives can be drawn from it. To be frank, this Illini team wasn't supposed to do much this season, so starting out at 6-0 left some to doubt if what they were seeing was real. The result was a 76-74 loss, as the Illini couldn't get the last shot off in regulation, and even though the crowd left disappointed at the first loss of the season, it is only the first loss and this team can build on that. With only 3 games and counting until the debut of Alex Legion, the Illini hope that another outside shooter can propel them into the Big Ten season.
Now, back to the challenge issue. The Illini are beginning to recruit more on a national level, and the addition of Mike Davis from Virginia (ACC territory, by the way) is a welcome start. At the Clemson game on Tuesday night, someone asked coach Oliver Purnell if he tried to recruit Davis while in high school. Purnell said he did, but since Davis was planning on going the prep school way, some coaches turned him off of their radar screens. It was Weber that convinced Davis to come to Illinois, where he could possible play right away. So far, so good on the result, as Davis has been a monster for the Illini, and an integral part of the team's 6-1 start.
Will the Big Ten ever win of these challenges? The jury remains out on that one, but for 2008, the Big Ten got closer. losing the 10th annual event by a 6-5 margin. Yes, the Big Ten could have taken their first challenge if the Illini could have gotten that final shot off (and made it). But, blowout losses by Michigan State to North Carolina and Indiana to Wake Forest make the answer to this question abundantly clear. The ACC is still superior to the Big Ten, and things will not change unless the brand of basketball that is played on the prairie matches that of the style that takes place on Tobacco Road.
Don Hardin announced his retirement this week as coach of the Illinois women's volleyball team, a position that he had held at Illinois for the past 13 seasons. Hardin has brought a level of talent to the program that has seen 9 trips to the NCAA Tournament, including the Final Four in 1987. Hardin wanted to imply that he is not leaving because he has to, he just wants to focus on teaching as the next phase of his career path. Having been given the opportunity to know Coach Hardin over the past few years, he is a superb individual that will be greatly missed within the Illinois program. The 2008 squad received an invitation to the NCAA Tournament, and will actually host first and second round matches on Friday and Saturday evening. The Illini, who finished the regular season at 24-7, received a #9 seed and will take on Wisconsin-Milwaukee, while Cincinnati and Western Kentucky will square off in the other match, with the winners facing each other on Saturday for the right to move on to the Sweet Sixteen. Let's hope that Coach Hardin can take this team deep into the tourney and extend what has been a brilliant coaching career.